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Chronicles of War: Trial by Fire (Book)
Plot Act 1 'Chapter 1: Bootcamp' On July 15, 2003 Tom Laudr joined the U.S. Marine Corps at the age of 18 at the Chicago recruiting station. Hoping to feel significant in something special a month later he is shipped off to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island for bootcamp. During Marine Corps Recruit Training as a young recruit Tom struggles physically and psychologically from going a regular civilian to a U.S. Marine. After completing the first phase the Drill Instructors' continue to push Tom and the other recruits to turn them into hardened Marines. While having to cope with their Drill Instructors'. Once the second phase begins Tom starts to become a model Marine. This upsets most of the recruits as the Drill Instructors increases the pressure so they can improve faster. Struggling to make friends Tom tries to avoid attracting any unnecessary attention from the Drill Instructors. As his fellow recruits start to open up to Tom he learns about all their walks of life. Getting close to the end of the second phase the Drill Instructors' sees that the recruits are shaping up better and better ever day developing esprit de corps. Once second phase has ended they enter the final phase of training but before they can begin the Crucible Tom and the other recruits go through rigorous training. To prepare for their final test their skills and knowledge are honed and tested. Beginning the Crucible Tom and the other recruits go through demanding field exercises. As some of the recruits struggle Tom steps up to accomplish their task. Impressing the Drill Instructor with his leadership skills. After Tom and the other recruits have survived 54 hours of physical and mental challenges they finish the Crucible and get a chance to relax and bond a little. Entering Marine week their final week at bootcamp the recruits are Inspected by the Battalion Commander then they spend their time with family members the day before graduation On the day of graduation the recruits receive their Eagle, Globe and Anchor and Tom is meritoriously promoted to Private First Class because of his new found leadership skills. After being awarded the title Marine they march out onto the field for the ceremony and are dismissed to return home before they are trained is their MOS fields. 'Chapter 2: Leave' Tom is on a plane home to visit his family and friends before he is ordered to back to duty and is shipped out to Iraq. While on the plane home he meets Victoria a freshman at Columbia College Chicago returning after visiting her grandparents in Charleston, South Carolina. Infatuated with her Tom makes a date to spend some time with Victoria. Arriving at O'Hare International Airport Tom is greeted by ... 'Chapter 3: Pre-Deployment' After weeks of conducting live fire exercises in preparation for their deployment to Iraq Tom and the rest of the unit beatbox their favorite songs and share crude jokes with one another while they wait to receive their orders. Preoccupied by tedious conversations in the Mess Hall like whether Shakira or Jessica Biel is more attractive. Eager for combat, Tom finds himselves bored with remedial training, constant drills. When Keeshawn suggest sneaking off base and going on a beer run. After obtaining unauthorized alcohol Keshawn organizes an impromptu poker game amongst some of the junior enlisted members. After a long night of enjoyment the junior enlisted members of the platoon arrive late to formation. Enraged by the junior enlisted members misconduct Staff Sergeant Kaylor assigns them with task of cleaning the latrines. Act 2 'Chapter 1: February - 2004' Arriving at Baghdad International Airport Tom like many of the young, fresh-faced kids just out of bootcamp their, he is excited to see combat. Beginning his first tour of duty in Iraq he heads towards the Staging area to report to 2nd Battalion 5th Marines and receive his assigned areas of responsibility. Being assigned to Camp Blue Diamond, Lieutenant Colonel Chance Ryan 2/5's battalion commander greets all the new arrivals with a rousing speech about the great task we have been given. Later in the week Lieutenant Stark approaches Tom and the squad telling them that they will start their first patrol in an hour. Patrolling for the first time in-country Tom discovers the obstacles that the Iraqis face are much greater than they could have imagined. 'Chapter 2: March - 2004' Using mirrors and bomb-sniffing dogs, the Marines performing their routine duties as they searching cars at a checkpoint as part of their deployment in Iraq. One day a truck carrying civilians wounded by a car bomb pass through the checkpoint where they are then assigned the unfamiliar mission of escorting the civilians fleeing the blast site. 'Chapter 3: April - 2004' Entering Ramadi Tom and the squad quickly find themselves engaged in a fierce firefight on one of Iraq's most dangerous roads. Running low on ammo the squad fends off an intense enemy assault. When reinforcements arrive the squad emerges from the engagement essentially unscathed An Arab-American Marine from Chicago joins the squad as their translator. Heading north, clearing villages and setting up a roadblock after a bridge is destroyed, the unit is assigned the task of manning a military checkpoint as part of raid. During their first night on duty, the team is forced to shoot a motorist who approaches the checkpoint with lights off and ignores their orders to stop; a second car is allowed to pass. The second vehicle to arrive is searched after its occupants attempt to flee and are killed and a young male insurgent is found hiding in the trunk. The squad helps guard the insurgent prisoner, who is taken to a makeshift prison in Husaybah and undergoes both physical and mental stress at the hands of an intelligence officer to force him to reveal the location a shipment of stolen C4. 'Chapter 4: May - 2004' Despite an armored division's punishing response to an ambush-in-waiting at a strategic bridge stiff resistance is still met. When a supply convoy must travel through the hot zone Tom and his squad is tasked with escorting them. While escorting the convoy Tom's they become blindsided by a brutal ambush. Under attack Tom and the squad try to hold off the enemy ambush. Protecting the convoy carrying fuel and water, when air support can't help them they desperately fight for their lives for hours. Act 3 Characters List of Characters in Chronicles of War